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Being familiar of what are poker tells and how to make good poker tells is a great advantage. Thus, if at this point you are still clueless about what are poker tells and how to make good poker tells, stop wasting your time. Know what are these poker tells and how to make good poker tells.

Well, a poker tell is the behavior of another player which can later give you idea about the hand he or she is holding. It can give you great edge and eventually can help you beat everyone else at the poker table.

To be able to make a poker tell, you must be prepared to take everything. Making a poker tell seems easy but then in reality it is not. It is more difficult to accomplish when you play with various sets of players from time to time and are up against players who are fond of doing wacky things just like players in Low Limit Texas Holdem. In tournaments and upper limits, it is easier to make a poker tell but still requires the player to be prepared. You must be prepared to fail if ever as there is no guarantee that you will always make proper poker tell. If others won’t cooperate or play as to how you expect them to play, your poker tell won’t be effective.

As much as possible, only make good poker tells. Making only good poker tells can really help. With making only good poker tells, you have better chance to strengthen your image and your bankroll. If in case you think you can’t still make some good poker tells, try to exert effort. You can’t learn how to make good poker tells overnight so just be patient and have the eagerness. In the right time, with the right attitude, you will surely learn how. Research and play a lot.

You are on a great edge if you know how to change gears in tournaments. If you know how to, you can mislead other players about your objective and eventually get a lot of chips from them. However, knowing how to change gears in tournament is complicated. It is often associated with convincing bluffing but then it is far more complicated as there is speed involved. Well, although complicated, it is something that will bear great fruits later. So it is all worth giving consideration.

Knowing how to change gears can really help when you are up a steady table, changing stack sizes, lesser actions, and varying stages.

At times, a table will just go steady. Thus, whenever this situation pops up, try to apply your knowledge on how to change gears. Try to pull in some more chips. If you get lucky, you will collect a lot of chips later.

Also, sometimes, your stack size will change. It can get smaller or bigger. If in case it gets bigger, try to take advantage of this. You might later get an enormous stack that will help you in case you want to play in the final table.

At some point, you will get lesser actions involving your hands. When this occurs, consider slowing down. You might be too tight already, most especially if your bluffs are being called down. Consider all possibilities.

Finally, with varying stages, knowing how to change gears is significant. At first stages, you can play tight but at later stages or you are near to the money, you can shift to high gear to pull together great results. Just try to assess everything. Consider the situation and the odds and you will know how you should play. Just be sensitive and open your eyes and mind.

At some point, you will play in tournaments and you have to act formally. Most tournaments have etiquette rules that all players should follow. Thus, as early as now, you must already get to know what are these etiquette rules so you are always prepared.

Use of Offensive Language

Most tournaments are very strict when it comes to language being used by the players. They often warn players or even disqualify players using offensive language.

Specifically, in tournaments, use of the “F” word is not accepted. If you are heard using this word, you may get a penalty like dismissal or disqualification from the game. For a lighter penalty, you maybe required to take a time off from the game, say 10 minutes of not playing if it is just first offense. If the penalty is to be assessed per round, then you maybe required to take a time off for one round of blinds if it is just first offense.

Way back in 2007, the rule on offensive words was more loose. Player will only suffer from a penalty when he or she says an offensive word directly to another player included in the game.

Throwing Off Cards to Dealer

In most tournaments, you are not allowed to throw off cards to dealer. If in case you try to do so, you will get a penalty. It is believed that throwing off cards to dealer will cause the game some delays. Nonetheless, when you throw off cards to dealer, those cards would fly off the table and eventually should be replaced, thus causing delays to the game.

The penalty you will get will depend on the tournament game you are in. Penalty varies. Just to be sure you will not be hassled by any penalty, never throw off cards to dealer.

Hi,

I’ve been into No Limit Holdem for more or less a year now. Just two months ago, I decided to play online $10-$20 sit and go tourneys. Well, playing at such level has been profitable in a way but when I already think of the number of hours I’ve invested, it seems to me it’s not profitable at all.

Recently, I tried small cash games, $25 NL, maximum of 6 players. At such level, I was actually able to discover some stuff. First, short handed play allows me to play more hands. Second, game moves more quickly and can be very exciting. Third, lesser hands can win vs. 10 player table. Fourth, fewer maniac players in the cash game vs. $10-20 tourney, but frequent heads up situations. And lastly, more respect shown for raises and check raises and fewer large pots due to the short handed game.

Now, how do you find my realizations? And about the idea that cash games are the way to go, do you agree? And do you think sticking with short handed cash games is far better than moving to a full table? And if you’ll be asked, does the possibility of larger pots outweigh the potential advantage of playing short handed? Does that change as the money placed increase?

Glad to hear from you soon.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Jenz
Jenz,

Cash games are better for some than others. It depends on how well you are doing. Some people play only tournaments and others play only cash games. In regards of hourly earn rate, you can play multiple tables at one time to increase your earn rate.

Also, if you have a bigger advantage in the short handed games, then you will probably want to stick with them. Yes, the pots in 10 handed games are bigger usually, but if you can win more pots in 6 handed, you will have a better long term rate. Would you rather win 5 pots of $20 each in a 6 handed game in an hour or 2 pots of $30 each in an hour for a 10 handed game. See my point?

Hi,

For several times, I heard that it’s actually better to be on the button or in late position and that one should play tight earlier and then later part play loose. On the flip side, it seems to be different in some tournaments featured on television, it’s playing loose earlier.

Well for me the only way to win is to play loose, then bet big and do some scaring works to some players. In case I’m holding J8 and flop is AQ8 or even Q 10 7, I think the only way for my hand to win is to bet big. I believe this will make players not on Ace fold.

On a sided note, if one were to play tight in early position, player on button or in late position might bet big and so I will be forced to fold. What do you think?

Regards,
Jet
Jet,

You have it backwards, play tight in early position and looser in later position. Doing otherwise will be a long term loser. Don’t pay attention to what you see on TV. TV poker is heavily edited and they only show the entertaining hands or the significant hands.

Hello,

The other night I was in a 10 man tournament. Later I was in heads up and was the chip leader. My opponent then was a kind of player who always seems to play and bet every hand. Later he became the chip leader as he won over most of my blinds as I wasn’t getting my cards then. Because of what happened, I went all in with Jh9h and he called me with A4 off suit. In the end, with ace high, he won. Well, I know I should have played differently but I don’t know how. Any thoughts?

Many thanks,
Austin
Austin,

Loosen up your hand requirements. Any hand with an ace, two big cards, and any pair is a potential raising hand. Otherwise, try and see a lot of flops for the blinds and push your hands when you flop strong.

Hello,

For several months now, I’ve been playing ring games along with some friends however recently I decided to try small tournaments.

Well, I’m bothered as every time I play in small tournaments, it’s always me and another guy who stay for the pot. This is a big problem for me as heads-up has never been an advantage to me, I typically fold a lot more than what’s supposed to be. Now I want to know your opinion about how I should adjust my play from a multi-handed game to a heads-up game. By the way, for heads-up is there a revised starting hands table?

Thank you very much!

Warm regards,
Albert
Albert,

Any Ace is a raising hand. Two big cards 10 and up are playable. Any pair is playable. Also, with other hands, try and see cheap flops to try and connect. I only stay away from the worst of the worst hands. Of course, if you can get to the flop with them in the big blind, go ahead and do so.

Hello,

Online, I never show my pocket card after a hand without being requested as I don’t want others, particularly my close opponents, to know how I played a certain hand. I believe the less information I give the better. But then what if unusual situations happen like situations where I don’t make any decisions about being in the hand like if everyone folds to me in the big blind or heads up if the small blind folds, will I still stick with what I believe in? Maybe it’s also helpful to once in a while show my uncalled hand right? There’s a great possibility that I can also use giving little infos to my own advantage. In case my opponent figured things wrongly, they might end up making a call with a weak hand. Any thoughts?

Thank you very much!

Warm regards,
Dustin
Dustin,

Showing your hands gives other players information on how you play. You can use this to give them only the information you want them to have. For example, I only show strong hands late in a tournament to give off the impression that I only play the nuts late.

Hello,

I’m 38 yrs. old and have been playing poker for months now. I was not that interested with the game but since I received an open invitation to join a weekly poker group I then became a bit interested. The guys were very willing to teach me then, they were so kind. Well with the patience and hard work of those guys, I was able to understand some of the basics of poker and then later joined real games. However I was a weak tight type then. Online, I was a bit okay but in real games, a disaster. Normally, I’d get pushed out of the pot, typically with a bluff; or 2-everyone would fold and then wouldn’t get any action on the hand.

Just recently, I saw your site and started reading some stuff. I then discovered I have lots of things to work out on but I just decided later to have one at a time.

I tried first to treat my raise-o-phobia. Luckily, in a certain game, I was able to re-raise a bluff to take down the pot and also flipped my cards over for others to see I had nothing. I also ended up being on the third spot.

Next I worked out on was my position play and my being the initiator. I entered a 27 person online tournament and fortunately had made it to heads up.

Well, I also wanted to drastically reduce my limp in’s and checks so I tried once if I could do it. I won a lot of pots without going to a showdown. And the hands I lost weren’t that significant as players then just called me instead of betting or raising.

Now, I’m more on being the aggressor and I believe it’s far better. My bluffs, traps, big pairs and even my losing hands are all much better. All points to my advantage. But I’m now bothered, I might return to my old ways, my old approach. Any tips?

Many thanks,
Lexis
Lexis,

Continue to work on your game and use the tools that you have developed to your advantage. Also, continue to work on new tricks and skills to help you get further in tournaments and to take them down. Work more on blind stealing and also on things such as playing small pot poker, table image, and pot odds. The more you learn, the better player you will become.

Hello,

For about a month now, I’ve been playing Holdem at Empire Poker. Usually I play for about 3 hours a day. As of the moment I’m curious about $0.5-$1.0 Limit. I believe the level itself is very tight with usually only 2 or 3 players seeing the flop, often with very little preflop raises.

Oftentimes, level transforms into something potentially unprofitable game of luck. I also notice that having just the second best hand doesn’t work at all at such level. And when I have the winning hand, my losses end up exceeding my wins as I can’t have sufficient action. On the better side, I do well with slow playing hands as JT with flop of 7TT. Same thing with pocket pairs. On the flip side with hands as T4o and A6o I just normally end up having small win that doesn’t cover my blinds.

Generally speaking, I can actually mix up my play and have the potential of remembering the cards I have folded to check if what could have had happened. However, with 52o, I usually fold which isn’t supposed to be. I never realized that I could have won a decent size pot with a full house or if not maybe two pair.

As of now, I believe tight and aggressive game is my aim. I typically win 2 or 3 pots early to be $15- $20 up however later on will just end up losing when the above mentioned factors kick in. Once to change things up, I tried playing two tables at the same time and I could say it was a successful attempt. Also, I tried my hand and luck at the small No Limit game, $25.00 buy-in, blinds $0.5/$0.25 and for some reasons I lost my shirt in the end. Not yet tired of trying so I gave sit and go tournaments, $5+1 NL a shot. I first tried to allow first 3 or 4 wild gamblers weed themselves out as I wait for some strong hands. Well, such approach worked and so I went home with more money though I was just second.

Now, I have two questions:

1. Do you think it’s really possible for internet poker games to go this far and this tight even at the smallest pot levels?
2. Based on what I’ve shared to you, do you have any piece of advice for me? Should I just stick at tourneys? Do you think it would be best if I try higher limit NL games as players there might act more predictably? And is it wise to just ignore the “life is one big session” motto and just quit while I’m leading?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Mark
Mark,

1. It is possible for games to be this tight. It all depends on the players. If a game is bad, you can always find a better game. You usually can check the stats on most rooms to determine which games are the most profitable.
   
2. Your approach seems to be decent, but it sounds like you have been in a couple of bad games in the limit side of things. Limit and No-Limit are two totally different games and as a result, I would stick with one or the other as my main game and then slowly work my way into the other. As far as tournaments, one tournament is not enough for me to determine whether you should play tournaments or not. Try a few more and if you do well, you may want to look into that possibility.